FAQ: Development

Does Home Forward work in partnership with others to develop projects?

Yes, we are fortunate to work with private developers, non-profit organizations, and local jurisdictions to complete developments. For example:

The Morrison is a major mixed use, mixed income redevelopment for which we partnered with Gerding Edlen Development, a private developer.

The Martha Washington is a historic renovation involving Multnomah County, Home Forward, and non-profit service provider Central City Concern.

Bud Clark Commons is the result of our partnership with the City of Portland and non-profit service provider Transition Projects, Inc.

How do I get more information about development opportunities?

If you have questions about Home Forward’s development opportunities, please feel free to call our Development and Community Revitalization Department at (503) 802-8528.

How does Home Forward decide what properties to develop?

As a steward of scarce public resources, our development activities focus on creating rental housing to serve low and very low-income households. To further define the agency’s ability to invest wisely and achieve the greatest public benefit, our Board of Commissioners adopted a set of three guiding principles for development:

Optimizing the number of housing units while balancing social goals and cost effective development;

Utilizing green building practices including payback analysis;

Partnering in development activities for maximum leverage of capital and human resources.

How is Home Forward’s development work organized?

We are a public entity with the ability to function like a private real estate developer. As a public entity, we follow public contracting and bidding procedures and we serve as a leader in our commitment to contracting with minority and women-owned firms, along with providing training and employment to those who have historically been under-represented in the construction trades.

What role does Home Forward play in development of affordable housing?

Home Forward serves as a developer of affordable housing on our own behalf and on behalf of our jurisdictional partners (Multnomah County, Gresham, Fairview and Portland.) Our in-house development team consists of specialists in finance, design, and construction management. We also provide community outreach and engagement opportunities and provide resident relocation services.

What types of projects does Home Forward develop?

Home Forward develops affordable rental housing in many forms. Home Forward’s development team has experience with a wide range of development activity, including new infill, historic renovations, acquisition and rehabilitation, and large redevelopments that include a mix of uses in transit-oriented developments. For more details of these types of developments, visit the individual project pages in this section.